What are We Exactly?
by Raizen Yusuke
Summary: Yugi and Anzu have always been confused about what their relationship is. They don't know what they are exactly yet they remain silent. However an event that happens that forces them to sort out their emotions. Set after the series. Reposted.
1. Segment 1: Anzu

**I've been meaning to re-write this story. I made some much needed improvements. This was one of my earliest stories so it was only natural that I made a lot of mistakes, but re-reading it and I had to cringe just a little at some of the mistakes I made. I finally got of my ass and re-wrote it. Instead of one-shot I split the chapter up into segments now. The first segment is focuses on Anzu and her attraction and affections for both Yugi and Atem. I added more content into it, so this story does not feel exactly like the same story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters or the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. Kind of obvious, but I have to mention it.**

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><p>The crowd roared with cheers at the Kaiba Dome. The air was filled with both excitement and anxiety. People were sitting on the edge of their seats, both figuratively and literally. What could be the cause of such upheaval? The answer would be a duel of course. This was not just any duel, this duel involved Muto Yugi the King of Duelists. Every duelist in the world dreamed of the chance to duel Yugi. Some were even inspired to become duelist because of him. To say that Yugi was famous would be an understatement. He was practically worshiped.<p>

His victories in Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and the K.C. Grand Prix had captured the hearts and admiration of many people. Yugi had become a symbol, one of inspiration and hope unbeknown to him. Yugi was focused on the duel at hand which was nearing its end.

"My turn, draw!" cried Yugi. He placed his hand on the top of his deck and drew his card. The trio colored man flipped the card over and grinned. "I'll play the magic card, Heavy Storm! This destroys every card in the magic and trap zone." Yugi's field was empty; however his opponent had Gravity Bind in play which was keeping Yugi's monsters at bay.

"Oh no my Gravity Bind!" the opposing duelist cried in horror. His field only had a Giant Soldier of Stone guarding his life points. Yugi had the Silent Magician which was currently at level 5 and Beta the Magnet Warrior on his side of the field.

Yugi: 1500

Yugi's opponent: 2100

Yugi continued, "I sacrifice my Beta to call forth, Summoned Skull!"

Summoned Skull ATK: 2500 DEF: 1200 LVL 6

"Summoned Skull, make his Giant Soldier of Stone into smoldering rubble, Demon Lightning!" Yugi commanded.

Following his master's command Summoned Skull unleashed an electrical current that destroy the Stone Soldier, leaving Yugi's opponent side of the field empty.

"Silent Magician, direct attack!" commanded Yugi.

Silent Magician ATK: 3500 LVL 5

Silent Magician unleashed a magic blast from his staff wiping out the remaining life points of Yugi's opponent. The opposing duelist let out a scream of agony as though he were attacked for real.

Yugi's opponent: 0

As soon as the opposing duelist's life points reached zero the crowd started shouting out more joyous cheers so loud that they could be heard miles away. The cheers were of course for their symbol, Yugi as he had obtained yet another victory. This caused the King of Duelists to blush uncontrollably. He rubbed the back of his head in modesty. He still wasn't use to all the praise he got. The constant praises and cheers are why he always allowed Atem to remain in control of his body until they ended. Since Atem's departure however Yugi was forced to endure all of the praises himself.

Yugi started to wave at the crowd to acknowledge their praise. He didn't want to be rude after all. The ones who cheered the hardest were his best friends. They were also sitting in the front row. Jounouchi and Honda had their arms in the air cheering at the top of their lungs. Otogi and Bakura were carrying a banner that read Yugi is the King. How did they make that in such a short amount of time was beyond him. And finally there was his eldest friend, Anzu. She was screaming along with the crowd, but with much more enthusiasm.

His gaze lingered on Anzu for moment. She was beautiful he thought. He began to wonder why he never pursued her, but then remembered that she was in love with the other him. No not the other him, he was his own person. He was Atem. Life had a cruel sense of humor to make his childhood crush take an interest in his old alter ego. It had been six months since he won the Ceremonial Battle and Atem departed from the world of the living. Anzu had probably taken Atem's departure the hardest out of them, even more than himself. She tried to put on a brave face for him, but he knew better. She had loved Atem and now he was gone forever. A part of Yugi actually started to fear that Anzu blamed him for Atem departure. He feared that she resented him. That thought deeply disturbed him. Yugi could handle just being friends with Anzu, but he could never handle her actually hating him.

'No, if she hated me she would have stopped hanging out with me by now. Besides we have been through a lot even before Atem showed up. Of course she doesn't hate me, but she is still in love with him. I may have surpassed you Atem, but I haven't taken your place in Anzu's heart,' he thought bitterly.

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><p>"Yugi-kun had another great duel," Bakura said.<p>

"Of course he did. That guy he was dueling was just another hotshot punk who was full of himself. No way could someone like him have beaten Yugi," Jounouchi stated.

"Where is Yugi anyway? I thought he was going to meet us outside the dome?" questioned Honda.

The group of five waited outside of the dome watching Yugi's audience leave the dome. After the duel ended they met up with Yugi briefly. Yugi had been mobbed by fans as usual. He told them he would meet them outside after he was done.

"You know how his fans are. They are probably still pestering him for his autograph," Anzu suggested. "Yugi can never say no to young duelists when they ask him for advice or his autograph," she added. That was just like Yugi. The brunette chuckled to little herself. "I can see it now. Please Yugi-san can give me your autograph. You are my inspiration for dueling." Anzu did her best imitation of a fan.

Honda laughed lecherously. "Or maybe a bunch of his female fans jumped him in the back and are fawning over him as we speak." He let out another lecherous laugh.

Jounouchi started to grin himself that was every bit as lecherous as Honda's laugh. Their friend was babe magnet. Oh how he envied Yugi and his ability to draw women to him. He did it without even trying! "Yugi does have a lot of fan girls and most of them are just so freaking hot."

He and Honda became so lost in thought that neither of them noticed that Anzu was glaring daggers at them.

"Remember Vivian?" asked Honda. His eyes were closed as though it would help him picture the woman in question.

"Of course I remember her!" shouted Jounouchi. "She had a great body and she was all over Yugi! I wouldn't have minded being her love slave." The two friends' faces turned lecherous. They were totally oblivious to Anzu's anger. Bakura and Otogi did their best to warn their friends of the coming danger.

"Guys cool it on the Vivian thing," Otogi whispered.

Unfortunately Otogi's warning came too late. Anzu delivered a beating to the unsuspecting Jounouchi and Honda. The beating was so vicious that Bakura and Otogi had to close their eyes. When the screams and pleas for help stopped they decided brave it and opened their eyes. What they found were Jounouchi and Honda on the ground with swollen cheeks and black eyes. The duo was nursing their injuries while Anzu stood over them still looking very angry.

"You two are such perverts! Thank god that Yugi can see past women's bodies after being around you two for so long!" she screamed. After her verbal assault Anzu started to walk off in the direction of the Kaiba Dome.

"Anzu-chan, where are you going?" asked Bakura.

"To find Yugi," Anzu replied.

As she stormed off Jounouchi and Honda got up. The four boys watched as Anzu went into the building.

"Are you two alright?" Bakura asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Jounouchi answered. He was still nursing his injured cheek. 'Man Anzu can hit hard,' he thought.

"It's your own fault. You know how bad she gets whenever you mention Yugi-kun's fan girls," Otogi explained. Bakura nodded his head in agreement.

"I know I know," Honda said. He wasn't sure if the ringing in his head would ever stop. "I forgot never mention Yugi's ability to attract women in front of Anzu. I just hope for Yugi's sake that he wasn't mobbed by fan girls."

"I would be more worried about the fan girls then Yugi," Jounouchi added. The other three boys nodded in agreement.

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><p>'Stupid Jounouchi, stupid Honda,' Anzu thought angrily. Why did they always have to act so perverted? The conversations always seemed to lead into which girl had nicer ass or which woman had a better rack. They could show her a little consideration. If she couldn't talk "chick stuff" as they dubbed it than they shouldn't be able to talk guy stuff. After all it was only fair.<p>

As Anzu continued to walk down the hallway she noticed a group of teenage girls who were chatting away. The girls were probably a few years younger than her. She could not hear what they were saying, but she would soon be within ear shot range.

"He's so amazing. Did you see him out there?" one girl said.

"Yes Yugi-kun is one of a kind!" another girl exclaimed.

"And he is so hot, especially with that collar on!" the last girl cried. The trio of girls started to screech.

'Great more Yugi fan girls,' she thought bitterly. 'One of them actually called him Yugi-kun! They don't even know him.' She hated how all these fan girls flocked to Yugi simply because of his fame. Not one of them even knew him. All he was to them was a hot guy with exceptional dueling skills. 'Wait did I just think Yugi was hot?' she asked herself.

Well it's not like she thought he was unattractive. In fact she always thought Yugi was rather pleasing to the eye, but she never thought of him as hot. Ok that wasn't exactly true. There were one or two times when she thought he was hot. 'Why am I lying to myself again? Because we're friends and friends do not think of friends as hot, attractive yes, but not hot. That is crossing a line. Who am I trying to kid here? Yugi and I have crossed that line already.'

She let out an exhausted sigh. She already knew where this thought would lead her to, the topic being what her feelings for Yugi were exactly? This had always been a difficult topic for her, mostly because of disembodied spirit that once inhabited black haired, magenta laced, and blond boy's body. 'Atem,' she thought. The ancient pharaoh always stirred up some powerful emotions. For some reason Anzu always seemed to find herself drawn to him. Perhaps it was because he seemed so mysterious and brooding. As cliché as it sounded she did like the brooding bad boy demeanor. There was how his steely yet fiery gaze would stare down any who dare challenge him. Of course he exuded confidence from every pour of his body. It always seemed as though failure was a foreign concept to him. He did not understand it nor did he wish to learn it. When they discovered that he was a pharaoh she thought it made perfect sense. All those qualities were natural for a ruler of the majestic land. Atem was every girl's fantasy. That did not mean he was without faults.

She remembered how Atem was when he first appeared before them, before they knew he was his own person and not another side of Yugi. Originally Atem was so cruel and distant. He would appear to deal punishment on the wicked, challenging them to games, defeating them, and placing harsh punishments. He was a dark avenger and did not seem to have any other side to him. Looking back on it now she wondered how he attracted her with his one track mind and lack of social skills. She really did fall into the cliché school girl role of falling for the emotionally distant guy. Perhaps even convincing herself she could change him.

After some time with Yugi the spirit had started to understand the world better. He even started adopting some of Yugi's qualities, such as valuing friendship and compassion. After all he started to value Jounouchi, Honda, and herself as more than just his host's friends and saw them along with Yugi as his own friends. That was probably why she thought him another side of Yugi, a more mature side. He spoke in Yugi's voice, except it was deeper and more sure and he stood tall and proud. He gave off the illusion that he was taller than his own partner. These were qualities Yugi had, but never used due to his lack of confidence. Atem was very proud and he absolutely despised losing. Those faults had dire consequences for all of them and especially Yugi.

Back in Duelist Kingdom she remembered the duel between Kaiba and the ancient pharaoh. It had been a difficult especially when Kaiba played his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. However Atem gained the upper hand. In a desperate attempt to win Kaiba threatened to jump off the castle if Atem went through with his final attack. While fear entered her heart she was sure he would not go through with it because Yugi would never go through with it. How wrong she had been. Without hesitation Atem declared his attack. Rather he thought Kaiba was bluffing or if he just didn't care she was appalled by his actions. She ran to him as fast as she could and begged him not to go through with it. She said it was not like him, not like Yugi at all. To her relief he or rather Yugi called off the attack in order to spare their rival. He chose to accept defeat rather than risk Kaiba's life. In that moment the differences between the two personalities had never been more apparent to her. Atem possessed the pride that allowed him the confidence Yugi lacked, but he did not have Yugi's heart.

That brought her to Yugi. He was the most pure hearted, gentle, and compassionate person she had ever met and probably would ever meet. Yugi simply wanted people around him to be happy. He rarely thought about himself. He had this astounding capacity to forgive people and give them second chances no matter what they did. His belief in the human spirit and in redemption was one of his best qualities. She envied that ability. If more people had Yugi's ability to see beyond the past then the world would be a much better place. A perfect example of this was Jounouchi and Honda. They used to bully Yugi relentlessly. She tried her best to keep them at bay and when she was around they backed off, but whenever Yugi was alone they started in on him. Yugi never once complained to her or anyone else about the bullying. At the time Anzu thought Yugi was too fearful of the two to do anything. She thought it weakness originally and did not realize until much later that Yugi did not do anything because he considered them friends. Why he did was beyond her. Ushio had been observing the duo's bullying and decided to do something about it.

He beat the living crap out of both Jounouchi and Honda. Later he got Yugi, showed them to him, and demanded Yugi pay him (as if!) Yugi told Ushio to stop hurting his friends to those three's surprise. He even stood to their defense, despite knowing he stood no chance against Ushio. It amazed her. She thought him too weak to confront Jounouchi and Honda for fear of being beat up, but he stood against Ushio without hesitation. After that day Jounouchi and Honda had been Yugi's friends. His actions and willingness to defend two people who had tormented him had earned their respect and loyalty. After that day Anzu never made the mistake of thinking Yugi weak again. Then there were people like Pegasus and Marik who tried to kill him to achieve their own goals. They manipulated him and toyed with his loved ones to those ends. At the times Yugi regarded them as enemies perhaps even hated them. He had every right to hate them after everything they had done to him. Most people would have held on to lifetime grudge against them, but Yugi was not most people. After the battles were over and things were settled Yugi treated them like they were old friends. He saw that they were remorseful and that their motives were not entirely selfish. He empathized with them and found the courage to forgive them. There was his courage. Yugi was very courageous, but most people missed it. He stood by anyone who needed help. She loved Yugi's kind and courageous heart and his empathy for others, however she did think Yugi was too timid and soft spoken for his own good.

He was afraid to speak his mind. Yugi always held back as though he feared to let anyone in as if there was something wrong with him. Did he fear that if he let people in that they would reject what they saw and shun him? Just as Atem lacked Yugi's heart, Yugi in turn lacked Atem's confidence. There in lied her dilemma. Both Yugi and Atem had qualities that drew her to both of them yet ones that did kept her from fully embracing either side. She hated herself for even thinking this for an instant, but she had at one point wished they were indeed the same person. It would have made it easy for her to acknowledge those non-platonic feelings she had for both of them. It was incredibly selfish to want that. It not only denied that Yugi was a whole person, but also brushed aside Atem's identity even if at the time it was unknown. Anzu could not get over how both Yugis seemed to lack something that the other person filled in. Atem's confidence and Yugi's heart those had been what had won her affection. Which quality had captivated her more was the question she asked herself often. If she knew that than she would know which one she wanted. The brunette dedicated herself to discerning this mystery for all their sakes.

Life however decided to make things more complicated. It decided it was too easy for her to decide which she preferred more Yugi's heart or Atem's confidence. It allowed the two Yugis to start to adopt qualities of the other one. Yugi become more outspoken and confident. Atem on the other hand became more humble and empathic. She remembered during the Ceremonial Battle that Jounouchi said that Yugi and Atem taught each other qualities that they originally lacked. Thinking about it and how both of them developed during their time together Anzu decided he was correct.

The Doma incident highlighted these changes. Anzu had finally gotten her chance to spend time with Atem alone. Unfortunately it came at a price. Yugi's soul had been taken by one of Dartz's swordsmen, Raphael. The details were still largely unknown to her. She knew the key facts though. Atem was losing in the duel and had two choices, to risk defeat at the hands of Raphael, but keep his soul as well as Yugi's soul intact or risk both at the chance of victory. He had chosen the path that would lead to a chance of victory. He had allowed his pride to get the better of him and used the Seal of Orichalcos for fear of losing, putting both the Yugis souls at risk. Despite his play he was still defeated and had to pay price. Yugi was quick to act. He sacrificed himself to protect the pharaoh believing that he was the only one who could save the world. How could Atem put his partner at risk like that? She never showed it to anyone considering how furious Rebecca was and how Jounouchi was off put by Atem hopeless attitude, but she was angry. No angry was not even the right word she was absolutely furious with the pharaoh. He was supposed to protect Yugi, not put him in danger intentionally! This was different from all the times they fought as one before, different from the duels against Pegasus, the other Marik, and Kaiba Noah. This battle wasn't to stop a mad man or to save anyone. This duel had been about Atem's pride. He couldn't handle losing and once again he did whatever it took to win. He thought of nothing of the consequences. He put Yugi at risk for his pride. She could not overlook that.

That was probably the only time she was ever truly angry at the pharaoh, the only time she wished he never came into their lives. But when her anger was at its peak and the hateful glares she shot him when he wasn't looking, she saw something in him that made her anger evaporate. She saw remorse. It was then that she realized that it wasn't just her who had loss her dear friend, but Atem as well. No one was closer to the spirit than Yugi. Without him, without his guidance and his heart Atem was truly lost. He had despised himself more than either Rebecca or Anzu could. After seeing that she just couldn't stay angry at him, instead her sorrow increased for both of them, Yugi and Atem. When he confessed that without Yugi that he had found it hard to empathize with others she did not recoil in disgust, but became a shoulder to lean on. Without even realizing it she was become more enthralled with the pharaoh as he obtained more compassion and understanding of the human heart. He was becoming what she thought she wanted, but there was still haze. If Atem had both the qualities she was drawn to shouldn't he had been the one her heart desired? Why did she still get lost in the fog? Why did the man she desired continued to have his face be shrouded in it? Yugi still stood out to her, still drew her as well. She did not know the answer for this until their next journey, their final one with Atem.

During their adventures in the Memory World she witnessed Yugi's growth. He was far more confident in himself. He took charge of their mission to rescue Atem and led them to the pharaoh's aid. She was a fool to have not Yugi grow. She had been blinded by the pharaoh and his deeds that she missed the young man she had known most of her life, grow within his shadow. He had gained what he originally lacked the strength and belief in himself that allowed him to stand without Atem to guide him. It was Yugi's strength that Atem drew from to summon Ra to defeat Diabound before the evil spirit manipulated events to his favor. Yugi was the one who continued to give Jounouchi, Honda, and herself hope when it looked as though Atem had perished. It was he who was determined to discover the true name to the "other Yugi" and help him win this game. But perhaps the crowning moment for Yugi in her opinion was how he faced the evil Bakura in a duel on his own. The evil spirit taunted him about how he was just a vessel and he lacked Atem's strength. He had even gained the upper hand in their duel and pushed Yugi into a corner. That did not deter Yugi at all. He never lost faith in himself. She was so proud of him at that moment. She witnessed him draw his true strength on his own, without Atem to draw it for him. That strength allowed him to defeat the other Bakura soundly. The spirit himself commented on his surprise on how he was defeated by the "vessel" and not the pharaoh. The fog was still there for a reason and she knew it. The two men she had once thought incomplete were no longer that. They had learned from each other how to draw out the qualities that were buried deep within them.

She couldn't manage these feelings properly at all. The Ceremonial Battle was thrust upon them. There was no time for her to evaluate these conflicting emotions. The brunette did not wish for Atem to go. It was too hard for her, because she did not want him to leave them, to leave her. He couldn't just leave before she could resolve these feelings. But he did or at the very least he was resolved to leave as soon as possible. When the battle took place the inner conflict waged on in full. Which one did she want to see win, Yugi or Atem? She wanted Atem to stay and at first she thought she was rooting for him to win. However early in the duel when Atem took the lead by summoning all three God cards she took no solace from it. There was just this overwhelming sense of dread that consumed her and washed over the conflict within her. Then there was the moment when Yugi had avoided being defeated by the God cards. Relief sprouted from that dread. She caught herself. She didn't want him to win. She did not want Atem to win the duel. Anzu did not want Atem leave there was no question about that. But when it came down to it she could not find it within her to root for him, to root for Yugi's downfall. What did that mean? She wanted Yugi to win, but not for Atem to leave. Did that mean something at all or was she simply reading too much into something that was minor?

She was drawn out of her thoughts when she realized she had reached the Kaiba Dome's inner workings. Her blue eyes went from left to right. She scanned the dome, but found no signs of the Duel King.

"Where could he be?" she asked herself aloud. Anzu's scanning continued. Her search finally paid off. She spotted him, however he was not alone. There was a woman with him. She had vibrant red hair that went all way to her hip. She had a slim figure, wore a sky blue a mini-skirt, along a matching coat that looked similar to their school blazers. Over that coat was a white shirt that revealed a lot of cleavage. The woman had a duel disk on her right arm, while her left arm was busy touching Yugi's shoulder. This caused Anzu to frown. That woman was flirting with her Yugi! She wasn't just going to stand there and watch some fan girl flirt with her Yugi while their friends were waiting outside. Anzu narrowed her blue eyes. A storm of formed within them, resentment, spat, jealousy mixed together. Whoever this fan girl was Anzu was going to make sure she knew that if she was planning on making Yugi her trophy that she would put a stop to it. Anzu started making her way to the arena.

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><p><strong>So how is it? Please tell me it is at least better than the original one. Please review and comment. <strong>


	2. Segment 2: Yugi

**This segment went longer than I intended it to be. I couldn't find it within me to cut any of it out. I think it adds more to Yugi and Anzu's relationship. The segment focuses on Yugi, how he views his growing relationship with Anzu, and what role Atem played in it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters or the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. **

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><p>Yugi was running late. He knew his friends were probably wondering where he was. Knowing Jounouchi and Honda they were put off by his tardiness. After all they had made plans to eat lunch when the duel was over. It did not take long for those two to get hungry. As soon as his latest duel ended he was mobbed by fans. The group was made up of all people of different ages, but the ones made up the majority of the group were children. They were ever ecstatic at the sight of their hero. He would never forget their wide eyes and the awe radiating from within them. Some of the children asked for his autograph, others asked him for dueling advice, and some even asked him to recount his now "legendary duels". Many asked him to go into detail about his battles in Duelist Kingdom and Battle City particularly. He enjoyed the children and their innocence. Hopefully the children would retain their innocence when they underwent their metamorphosis into adulthood. When the children had been thoroughly satisfied they left with joyous laughs and delighted smiles. A pair of children a boy and a girl skipped away. He heard them bickering.<p>

"When I grow up I am going to be just like Yugi-san," the boy declared.

The girl shook her head. "You can't be like Yugi-san. I am going to be like him!"

"But you are a girl. How can you be the next Duel King?" the boy asked.

This earned him a smack in his shoulder. "Just because I am a girl doesn't mean I can't be Duel King! After all I am stronger than you so between the two of us I am more likely to become one. Besides you are too soft to be Duel King. If you hope to beat me you have to become stronger and start standing up for yourself," she lectured.

He only shook his head and smiled. The pair of children reminded him of himself and Anzu when they were younger. Back in those days before he was renowned as the Kings of Duelists, before Jounouchi was his best friend, and even before he solved the Sennen Puzzle and bonded with the spirit within it, he only had one friend. The object of his affections was his first true friend. Although arguably Jounouchi had usurped the position of his best friend she was still a close second, no offense to Honda, Bakura, and Otogi. It amazed him that they were still so close after all these years. Their relationship had stayed the same for the most part, but there were noticeable changes that he had to acknowledge lest he wanted to be a fool.

In their younger days Yugi was soft as that girl accused that boy who had gotten his autograph moments ago. No, soft did not quite describe it. Even bashful was not strong enough to fully describe how he used to be. Yugi had always been a quiet person. He was not sure why that was exactly. It could have to do with the fact that he rarely saw his father who was always away on business or that his mother's strict upbringing, or that he rarely interacted with children his own age before he went to school. He was child immersed in games. There was never a time that he was not fascinated by games. When you grow up in game shop and your grandfather had every game imaginable it was to be expected. Unfortunately his love of games did not equate to social skills.

Most people thought him odd. He was so quiet during class and when he tried to speak he would end up stuttering. It was easy to see why despite having a game shop that he had made no friends as a child. There were others who assumed his non-talkative nature was due to some undeserved sense of superiority. This made him the target of ridicule and reason for people to avoid him. He did not help matters by keeping his mouth shut and not trying to disprove those rumors. Yugi did not speak until the day he met Anzu. For some reason he was just drawn to her. He did something he had never done until that day. He offered his treasured Gameboy to her and invited her to play with it. She took the game from his hand stared at for about a second then looked to him, and returned her gaze to the Gameboy. The blue eyed girl threw it to ground breaking it to his horror.

Normally that would have been an incident that had turned people into enemies or the very least made them distant strangers. As insane as this sounded that incident is what started Yugi and Anzu's friendship. He was upset that his game was broken, but he felt sorry for this girl. What was going on with her that made her lash out like that. After he collected the remains of his Gameboy he looked up to her and presented her with the biggest smile he could. Those blue eyes were plagued with confusion, fear, and most importantly remorse. She muttered an apology. Explaining to his mother and grandfather why his Gameboy bought with the money his father sacrificed his home here at the shop for them was unpleasant so to speak, but he never regretted it. After that day a bond was formed between him and that blue eyed girl who frowned. It was the day their relationship was born out of the remains of his broken Gameboy.

They became in-separable. You could not see Anzu without seeing the shy gaming kid with hair three different shades of color. The reverse was true you could not see Yugi without seeing that tomboyish and frowning girl. They were an odd pair; as both had been deemed by their peers. That's what made their friendship work. They were there for each other. By banding together they survived the trials they faced in elementary school and middle school. He wished he could say he helped Anzu as much as she helped him, but that was a lie. Once he started to get bullied by people for his supposed arrogant demeanor (which had somehow been proving by befriending Anzu) it was her who defended him. She could go toe to toe with any of the boys at their school. One memory stood out among the others, Anzu had gotten a boy in a headlock. She threaten him to leave Yugi alone or she would did put him in another headlock in front of the whole school and humiliate him, a humiliation that she was sure would follow him all the way to high school. Needless to say he had no problems with that boy again.

Anzu was his defender from all things rather it be school bullies, catty girls, and even his mother (to some extent). However she would always chastised him for not standing up for himself. "You are too soft. Yugi, you need to stand up for yourself. I won't always be around." Those words would forever be branded in his mind. To this day they still frightened him. He never wanted there to be a day when she wasn't around. It wasn't because she was his guardian. No, he no longer needed her for such a superficial duty. He just could not imagine having her out of his life, not laughing with her, not playing games with her, not watching her dance, and not be there with her sage like guidance. He hoped that day would never come, but with every year it came closer and closer into realization.

When Anzu revealed her dream to go to the U.S. and become a dancer to Jounouchi and him he realized that Anzu's words would come true. After high school she planned to leave Japan, to leave Domino City, to leave him. He shook his head at that thought. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

He had no idea when his feelings manifested into romantic attachment. Perhaps they had always been there. Yugi found himself gravitating to the blue eyed girl. He desired to be in her presence and when she wasn't around a part of him felt sad. As they grew up those feelings became stronger and developed into a crush. Of course he was too shy to ever speak of his crush to her. A part of him suspected that she might have known. But they never spoke about it. They were friends, best friends and neither of them wished to change that. The other problem was that he was too soft spoken and lacked any kind of confidence. How many girls actually went for a guy like that? His personality probably would have won him a pity date, but not much else. He was just thankful she never declared him her brother or else he would have no chance at all.

Anzu was quite attractive especially once she had undergone puberty. He had caught many of the boys in middle school leer at her. Some even tried to look up her skirt which earned them one hell of a beating. Anzu hated perverts even to this day Jounouchi and Honda were always on their best behavior when she was around. She watched them like a hawk when women were around. She did not want them to instill Yugi with their "perversions" as she deemed it. He fully expected her to get a boyfriend and start spending less time with him. He braced himself for when it happened. During their three years in middle school however she never once so much as mentioned a boy to him. That was some kind of grace at least. She may have shown him no interest, but the same was true for any boy their age.

By the time they had entered high school she had earned the nickname, Gunner. Any guy who had asked her out was immediately gunned down with rejection. Some thought it was because they were together (as if) and others just thought she was not in to men. Whichever belief people held Anzu's suitors stopped trying all together to his joy. Of course his chances did not increase much at all. It seemed they were destined to be friends until that day he had solved puzzle he had spent eight years trying to build. That was the day he had met the man who would change his life forever. The man possessed no body of his own. He was a spirit who lived within the ancient Sennen Puzzle. This spirit became known as the "other Yugi" and his arrival altered everything in his life including his relationship with Anzu.

Early on Atem (his true name which had finally been discovered) would take control of his body when he perceived a threat to Yugi. The ancient soul would challenge those who wronged him to games with supernatural consequences for the losers. He had saved not only Yugi, but his newly acquired friends (Jounouchi and Honda) along with his eldest friend (Anzu). The first time Atem had rescued Anzu she had become infatuated with him. That was when he started to notice these odd looks she had given him. These looks had never been there before. He had seen them in the eyes of other girls when they looked to boys who had won their affections. Was that the case with them? No it couldn't be he had to have imagined things. That was what he originally thoughts. As time went on though he realized that Anzu would indeed stare at him with longing in those enchanting blue spheres.

He was overjoyed by this fact. The girl he had a huge crush on was showing interest in him! Things could not have been better. That joy became short lived when he realized that there was another side to him, another soul residing in his body. Yugi became aware of Atem's existence and realized that all of the unusual things that happened around him were his doing. That's when it hit him. Those blue eyes did not hold affection for him. They were reserved for the man they deemed the "other Yugi". Everything made sense to him now. It was too much for him to hope for Anzu's affections.

He couldn't blame her for her attraction to the pharaoh. Atem was so courageous, strong, daring, and reeked of confidence. The way he carried himself was very different how Yugi acted. He was not confident at all. He barely even spoke. That's why he idolized the "other him." He was everything that Yugi desired to be. If he was that strong and confident he would be able to make friends on his own and also win her heart. He began to give Atem control of his body willingly and watched from within. He studied how he acted, how he talked, and how he even moved, committing everything to memory. He wanted to be just like Atem or as Jounouchi once said the "cooler" Yugi.

He was hurt by the blond's words at the time. Jounouchi felt remorseful at that comment and even gave his apologies. The tri color haired young man could not help, but think the same thing. Atem was the cooler Yugi that everyone gravitated to, who everyone was afraid to cross, who everyone looked to for guidance and protection. That's why he was always surprised when Atem said that he fascinated by him. The pharaoh said he impressed by his gentle heart that touched others. He told Yugi not to look down on himself and that one day he would see the value he possessed. At the time he did Yugi did not understand what he meant, but now he had a good understanding of what his former alter ego meant.

He had wished on the Sennen Puzzle to make friends and he credited it for giving them to him. Well he credited the puzzle and Atem, but the truth was it was neither the ancient relic nor the departed pharaoh that had won him friends. It was he who had gained friends. It was he who stood up to Ushio for Jounouchi and Honda the event that both claimed had won over their friendship. It was he who had been willing to give one of his precious star chips to Jounouchi. He was the one willing to overlook Mai's unfavorable attitude to Jounouchi and was willing to let her in his heart. Atem helped him obtain Bakura, Otogi, and Kaiba as friends, but Yugi played vital roles in that as well. His advice to Bakura on having another him residing in his body really helped the white haired man. He encouraged his friends to give Otogi a chance and quickly forgave him for his actions against both Jounouchi and himself. It was obvious that between Yugi and Atem that he was more forgiving of their once hated rival. While it was Atem's skills in dueling that won Kaiba's respect it was his lessons of fighting for someone you love and others that Atem quoted to Kaiba; for it was he who taught Atem that same lesson.

His kind heart had won the friendships of all these people. Now that Atem was gone he realized that more now than ever. It was Muto Yugi who had gained friends for himself not Pharaoh Atem. That was not to say Atem did not give him something just as valuable as friends. He gave Yugi the tools to uncover the confidence locked within him. He would always be grateful to Atem for that. This is what he always lacked and the prime reason Anzu would never see him in a romantic light. It was why she was enthralled with Atem. The unusual and unspoken love triangle between the three of them did not fully form until the day at the amusement park.

Anzu had asked him to go with her to Domino's amusement park. He was ecstatic about her invitation. He even allowed himself to think that this was a date. It was crushing for him when he discovered the whole thing had been a ruse to spend time Atem. She had purposely put herself in danger in order to bring him out of Yugi. Ignorant of the true danger and thinking she was merely acting Anzu went on the Ferris-wheel. She had no idea that the bomber had planted his bomb there. Thankfully Atem stopped the demented man from carrying out his goal. Once the danger was over Atem relinquished control of Yugi's body back to him. After some questioning from the police the pair left the park and he walked her home.

Anzu tried to thank him again, but he immediately cut her off. He told her what she did was stupid and selfish. Her shock was still clearly seen in his mind. He had never talked to her that way. It was probably the first traces of his confidence emerging without Atem. He went on to berate her for endangering herself just to see the other him. He told her how much it hurt him. Yugi finally finished by telling her to ask him to talk to the Atem the next time she wanted to see him, but not to doing anything so reckless or he would call in their whole friendship in question. High off his courage the tri-colored boy left her to go to home. The next day Anzu apologized to him and vowed never to do that again. Her blue eyes conveyed shame and regret, but there was something else in them. A glint that he only saw when she looked at Atem; he saw affection. That baffled him. By that point she could tell when Yugi was in control and when Atem was. That look never went to him unless it was lingering from when Atem was on control. The lines were murky now. He was unsure if all those looks were now for the disembodied soul or for him.

Things went back to normal between them sort of afterwards. Anzu never asked him to talk to the "other Yugi" no matter how much she may have wanted to. It was respect for him and their friendship. Instead she would be content with seeing him when he came out of the puzzle to play games and later duels. But that affectionate look was no longer reserved for just the pharaoh. It spilled over to him as well. This continued to puzzle him. Some puzzle solver he was. Not that he had much time to think about it. The insanity of the Games of Darkness and other Sennen Items was thrust upon them without warning. After Atem defeated Kaiba, Pegasus invited him to Duelist Kingdom then stole his grandfather's soul when he refused to enter. All the duels he and Atem were forced to participate in left no time to decipher Anzu's feelings.

When the rematch with Kaiba occurred the situation took another development. In the heat of battle Atem was forced into a corner by Kaiba's Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Crush card combo. He managed against probability to create a miracle open up a path to victory. Kaiba unwilling to lose again for fear of losing his brother (which neither Yugi knew at the time) threatened to jump off the castle if "Yugi" went through his next attack. Atem charged right in. Anzu rushed to them and pleaded with them to stop. She said it was not like him to do this. She meant was it was not like Yugi to go through this. For the first time she beckoned him to come out to replace Atem. She was right, he would never do this. How could Atem think to do it? The man he admired, the man he wished to be had chosen victory over irreplaceable life. It was not for Yugi's sake. Yugi could feel his emotions. Atem did not wish to lose to Kaiba. The thought of losing sickened the pharaoh. That moment he refused to listen to Yugi. There was even a bit of resentment for Yugi for even asking of him to accept defeat. Realizing he was not going to stop Yugi took control of his body back and ended the assault. Kaiba attacked him next turn to claim victory.

He fell apart. Atem had shown the extent of his pride which refused to accept defeat even at the cost of a life, he lost five of his star chips, and it looked like his grandfather's soul would remain imprisoned in a card. For a fraction of a second he felt ping of regret for not allowing Atem to finish his attack until Anzu comforted him. She told him that his grandfather would not want him to harm anyone to get him back. She reminded him of his kind nature. Most importantly she supported him over Atem. She didn't think him weak for not going through with it. When Kaiba mocked him, Anzu told him off by saying Yugi not only spared him, but proved to be more of man than he was that day. Later she fought against the far more experienced Mai when he doubted he could trust Atem. That doubt made him refuse to duel Mai for the star chips he needed. Anzu dueled in his place. She was easily pushed back, but refused to go down. She fought for him like she did when they were children. There was one major difference this time. She wasn't fighting because he lacked the power to fight himself. She fought to restore his newly grown confidence, to show her support for him. She wanted to show him his kind heart was something to be valued.

That was moment when he realized his feelings had gone beyond a mere crush. This woman would support him through thick and thin. Her affections for Atem aside she never wanted him to give up the one thing that most would have seen a weakness. Anzu never wanted him to let go of who he was. Eventually the two Yugis reconciled. They battled their way through the finals before finally bringing down Pegasus and freeing his victims. When they returned to normal life Atem vowed to help Yugi win Anzu over. Anzu continued to become more affectionate towards Yugi. She had always been protective of him especially around girls, but now he noticed the glares she shot at them. He saw the underlying jealousy hidden in them. God he remembered how much she disliked Mai when they first met her. The glare she shot Mai when the Harpie duelist flirted with him was unmistakable. It was a bit flattering to see her slightly jealous. Unknown to her he would sometimes smile at girl who showed him even the slightest interest to see how she reacted. Every time without fail she would glare at the girl. He stopped doing it of course when he saw how much it bothered her.

Even with all of this he knew her affections for Atem were still intact. That was why he set them up on a date when Atem was down about having no memories. He retreated far into depths of his soul in order to give them privacy. Yugi had no idea what exactly happened on the date. The next day he did notice that they had become closer. He could have sworn Atem's attachment for the brunette had grown after that day. This was a fact that made him both satisfied and dissatisfied. On one hand his plan had worked. His alter ego and his eldest friend had become closer. On the other hand he pushed the woman he had fallen for closer to another man. If that wasn't enough Anzu became a bit withdrawn from both Yugi and the majestic ruler. Probably out of some sense of guilt about enjoying her time with Atem.

When Battle City occurred Anzu's concern for his "other self" was most apparent. In all the duels they faced he saw fear radiate from the blue spheres he grown to love. That fear wasn't for him, how could it be when he was simply hidden within while Atem was in control. After Marik's split personality "killed" Jounouchi she begged Atem not to duel in the tournament anymore. She poured her heart to him, urged him to forget about the tournament, to stop risking his life anymore for glory. Yugi's heart ached when he saw the love in her eyes. That love overpowered any of the affection she given him. He knew where he stood. She may have felt bursts of affection for him, but clearly was in love with Atem. That was why he arranged another date for them after Battle City ended. Like before he did not witness it. The green eyed monster had still plagued his heat. It grew larger while taunted him over the fact that Atem was on the date he wanted to be on. He shoved that feeling down so as not to alert Atem of his displeasure when he came back to retrieve him.

He successfully hid his jealousy from Atem when he gave control back to Yugi. He even managed to ignore this growing attachment to the brunette woman his alter ego had. If Anzu was happy then everything would be ok. That was what he told himself at least. While a part of him was saddened by the turn of events.

During the whole Doma incident the gang had been reunited with Professor Hopkins along with his granddaughter, Rebecca. To his surprise the girl had sworn her heart to him. She even went as far as grabbing his arm, kissing him on the cheek, and other things he much rather forget. He wasn't the only one troubled by this new development. Anzu couldn't stop gawking at Rebecca. First she was surprised, but it quickly turned into terrifying glare that would send any of them to their graves. While she never said it in words she made it perfectly clear with her body language that she did not approve of Rebecca's actions. This was unlike the dark glares Anzu shot women or fans that flirted with him. This was the look of woman ready to beat down any rival foolish enough to lay claim to her man. What possessed Anzu to become this defensive over him was beyond him. She was in love with Atem and not him. Did she think Rebecca like she once was under the impression that Yugi and the ancient pharaoh were one and the same? Or did she think Rebecca wanted both the Yugis?

Soon those glares became directed towards him. Those blue eyes told him to make "that girl" back off him or else. The terror that look sent into his heart was so great that he attempted to switch with Atem thinking that would lessen her fury. However the fearless pharaoh refused to come out to meet that glare. It was the only time Atem denied him help. Anzu was scary beyond belief when she possessed by the green eyed monster, so terrifying that neither Yugi had the strength or courage to face her. When he participated in the K.C. Grand Prix Yugi found that he was on the receiving end of those furious glares often. Jounouchi and Honda did not help things by praising him of his "chick appeal." The atmosphere around the blue eyed woman grew darker and darker. Yugi would have sworn that Atem retreated further into the puzzle as the atmosphere grew darker. Of course he denied it to Yugi, but Yugi knew what he sensed. He sensed Atem's presence fade more and more that day until he came out to duel. On the plane ride home Anzu made it a point to snuggle up to him. Yes snuggle up to him. She was so sitting so close there was no distance between them. She even rested her head on his shoulder as though it were natural. Dare he say she was reclaiming him from Rebecca?

Yes there was no denying that their relationship was perplexing. Yugi desperately wanted answers to what was going on between them, but feared breaking whatever arrangement they had. It was imperfect, but it worked for all three of them. He certainly was not going to break that when Atem's departure neared ever so closer. The Memory World and Ceremonial Battle overshadowed those touches and looks she gave him. Her attention was once again on Atem. It was rightfully so though. The ancient pharaoh's quest was ending; the time for him to rest was upon them. Anzu wanted to speak with Atem alone, but circumstances were against her. Atem still had to construct his own deck and Yugi just put the finishing touches on his own. She left realizing that there would be no time to talk afterwards as both needed their rest for the most important duel of both their lives.

There was no closure for Anzu or for Yugi for that matter. He always wondered during the duel when he was clashing with Atem if she was rooting against him. The answer seemed obvious. I mean she loved Atem and had no desire to see him leave. How could she root against him? She even attempted to walk out on the duel not bearing to see them fight, but Jounouchi had stopped her. He told her they had to watch the conclusion because it cumulated the journey that the pair had gone on since Yugi solved the Sennen Puzzle. She stayed to watch. She witnessed her love being defeated by him. She witnessed Atem's farewell to all of them. She witnessed Atem cross over to the afterlife, to his well-deserved peace. Yugi in turn witnessed her heart break. He witnessed her attempt to go after Atem only to be stopped once more by Jounouchi. Their awkward triangle broke down into two. Their positions returned to normal the way they were before Atem entered their lives. No that was untrue. If he was honest the fog was still there. Anzu still shot him affectionate stares and glares to his fan girls, while mourning Atem. He in turn kept quiet for fear of breaking the tranquility that had formed. In a way they were friends, but not friends at the same time. It was more and yet less at the same time. Atem's departure did not define anything. Even he never explained to Yugi what exactly his attachment to Anzu had been.

The Duel King became aware that he had been standing there motionless. He shook his head of troublesome thoughts. Jounouchi and Honda were no doubt starving now. They would whine to him about making them wait to eat. "I better get going," Yugi told himself. Just as Yugi was about to leave to meet his friends he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned around to find the culprit was a rather attractive woman. The woman was smiling at him. She had bright red hair, her eyes were breath taking, shimmering emerald shade. Her figure was slim and curvy. Her attire revealed every luscious curve she possessed. She wore a blue mini skirt that showed off her shapely legs, along with a matching blue blazer that was akin with his school coat. She wore a white shirt underneath the blazer that was form fitting. It revealed cleavage. Her skin was milky white and just as smooth. She was quite the vision to behold. What caught his eye first was her rather large bust, as wrong that sounded. He was still a guy after all. He occasionally checked out girls, of course not to the extent that Jounouchi and Honda did.

The woman's lips curled into a bewitching curve. He wondered how many men became possessed by that grin of hers. "I know you probably get this a lot, but I really admire you. I dream of dueling against you," The woman said.

It was then that Yugi took notice of the duel disk on her right arm. How could he have missed that? Well there were two big reasons for why the sizable duel disk escaped his attention.

The crimson haired woman spoke again, "Actually I want to defeat you to be honest." That grin of she was wearing widened into an even more prideful yet somehow seductive smirk. He doubted her intention was to seduce him, but it gave off that feeling. She could bring down any man she desired with a simple look.

"Is that so? Mind if I ask you your name?" he asked. Yugi determined to keep his mind on the conversation. He would show restraint and ignore her astounding beauty.

The prideful/seductive smirk grew even more. She ran one of her hands through her vibrant hair. She brushed it aside. God even simple gestures like that were deadly. "Jun," she replied.

A smile formed on his lips. "Jun, I am glad to meet you." His smile widened more to greet her. His purple orbs gave her their most friendly glare. "Well Jun if you want a duel I am afraid I have friends waiting for me right now. I'll have to duel you some other time."

Jun laughed at Yugi's comment. Her laugh was not as dainty as he would expect. It was soft, but there was harshness there. It told a story of its own. This woman had seen her fair share of trouble in her lifetime. "If I were to duel you right now I would lose for sure," she stated.

Yugi was surprised by her admission. He did not show it. "You never know. You might be able to win," he suggested.

Jun nodded her head in disagreement. "A good duelist knows their strengths along with their weaknesses. Right now the way my deck is structured it will fall to your strategy deck. I came to this realization as I watched you duel today. Your strategy was short of brilliant. You anticipated what your opponent would do and set up cards to not only counter it, but set your own plays as well. I've noticed that your deck has undergone another evolution."

Impressed by Jun's observations Yugi raised an eyebrow at her. It was obvious that she was a skilled duelist. He was running late, but wanted to hear what else she had to say. "Please go on. Tell me how my deck has evolved," he asked politely.

Jun continued to smirk. "In your last major tournament the K.C. Grand Prix your deck had a lot of support for your ace monster, Dark Magician. There were also your Royal Knight Warriors and decent number of spellcaster cards. In addition your deck sported a great deal of magic cards and few trap cards. Of course your God cards were absent from that deck. I am not sure if it is commendable that you left out your strongest monsters out or foolish."

Yugi smiled again. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind to him. Most people he talked to about his dueling (aside from his dueling friends) did not criticize him. It was refreshing to hear.

She continued, "The deck you used today has quite noticeable changes. The most obvious one is that you have monsters that have never been in your deck before, such as the Gadget monsters, the toy theme monsters, and level up monsters. The number of magic and trap cards was more balanced as well when you compare it to your last deck. Of course there were recognizable cards in there, the Magnet Warriors and your Dark Magicians. This deck follows the basic archetype of a strategy deck, however the way it is structured now allows more room for you to counter your opponents' combos and set them into your own combos." She paused as if to gather the rest of her thoughts. "In truth your deck is terrifying. A deck that focuses on undoing your opponent's strategies and forces their hands to make them more likely to fall into your own strategies is quite difficult to create let alone use. It requires you to be able to anticipate their moves and patience to set up cards for future use. I understand why you are the King of Duelists. Muto Yugi, your reputation is well deserved." Jun paused for moment as though she was contemplating her own words. Yugi couldn't help, but stare at her. She was just so stunning. He was mesmerized by her brilliant emerald eyes.

"I will continue to grow and improve my deck so that one day I can duel you. Once I gain the necessary strength I will challenge you. I will defeat you Yugi," Jun stated without hesitation. Her eyes held unbreakable determination. They refused to show any hint of weakness.

Upon hearing Jun's declaration Yugi's dueling spirit awoke. A huge almost Atem like smirk graced his lips. He liked when his rivals had a spirit that burned so fiercely. They were usually the duelist that gave him a good duel. They were the ones who forced him to grow as a duelist in order to fight with them. "I guess we'll find out in future. However I am still growing myself. Don't assume that I will stay at the same level I am at now. If you forget that you will not defeat me," said Yugi declared with a definite tone. There was no waver in it. His smirk was still strong.

Jun was stunned by how confident the short duelist's words were. He was every bit the duelist she heard him to be. He did not bulk at challengers; instead he met them full on. She was impressed by both his dueling skill and the way he carried himself, both on and off the dueling arena. She saw how Yugi acted with the kids who were there earlier. He was so kind and patient with them. While he was outnumbered by the children all of whom had their questions for him he did not buckle. He told them all to be patient and not worry because he would answer all of their questions or give them his autograph. One by one he addressed the children's concerns, gave them dueling advice, and recounted some of his legendary feats. She doubted her own tolerance for the children had she been in Yugi's position.

With his gentle nature one would never assume him for a fierce duelist he was known as. But she had witnessed just how wrong that assumption was. During the duel at the Kaiba Dome she saw his collective attitude. He was calculating as he analyzed his opponents' combos to devise countermeasures against them. His aura was fierce that it threatened to wipe his opponent out of existence. This man was truly unique to have such a kind heart yet have such strong fighting spirit. Even now as she looked into his purple orbs she saw his warrior spirit. They reeked of utter confidence. The determination and his resolve were unshakeable. She wondered how many opponents had been instilled with doubt by this look. This looked intended to instill fear she thought him rather cute. 'Oh God no please tell me I am not turning into one of those ridiculous fan girls,' she thought.

Despite her thoughts she couldn't help herself from checking Yugi out. She liked what she saw. He was shorter than her, but not by much he came to her shoulder. That might have been a turn off for some, but she did not mind him being shorter than her. Besides his personality and the way he acted more than made up for his short stature. He was handsome with his wild blond and black spiked haired with traces of magenta. He had unusual bold purple eyes that she found appealing. He was attractive, but that didn't mean she was going to turn into one of those fan girls. She could find him attractive and maybe flirt a little without descending into the dreaded depths of the fan girl.

She began to smirk herself. She brushed her crimson locks away from her, flipping it. She hoped it grabbed his attention. It seemed to have its desired effect. Those purple eyes were on her hair. "I'll remember that, Yugi. I'll keep that in mind when I am remodeling my deck." Her hand brushed Yugi's shoulder sensually. He flinched at her touch to her amusement. "You are cute with those hard eyes and smirk on your face," Jun said alluringly. Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly in order to add to her flirtation.

'She's flirting with me!' he thought. Yugi had finally become use to being hit on and flirted with by his female fans. But they did it in an obvious and annoying way. Jun's flirting was much more subtle than what he was too. The pit of his stomach boiled with apprehension, creating a contrast to what he was feeling earlier. "Thank you. You are rather attractive yourself," he muttered. 'God did I honestly just say that? I am horrible at flirting,' he thought. To his surprise Jun's smile returned.

"Thank you Yugi." Her fingers brushed his shoulder again. This time she made sure to linger for a while longer. "I appreciate the sincerity." She truly did. Jun was used to being hit on by every man imaginable. They rehearsed pickup lines in an attempt to get into her pants. It was sickening. However Yugi's compliment was not meant to flatter her. It did not have any double meanings. He truly meant she was attractive. It felt good to receive a genuine compliment again.

Yugi's cheeks flared up. His face was as red as tomato. His confidence was now at the surface, but there were still some situations that were enough to make him become bashful. A shockingly beautiful woman flirting with him was one of them. "Yugi!" cried a familiar voice that made Yugi's spine jump. He slowly turned around to see the blue eyes that had captivated him. "Anzu," he whispered to himself in horror. Things were about to get interesting.

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><p><strong>I gave my original character a bit more personality. I wanted her to catch Yugi's attention with more than just her appearance. Most of this was missing in the original story. I don't think I added enough to Yugi's dilemma in the first version. I think this one fixes that. Please review. <strong>


	3. Segment 3: Yugi and Anzu

**This is the last chapter. I recently found out that proper name for Yami Yugi's name, thanks to Yuki-san loves KKM. I will be calling him Atemu from here on out. I will get around to fixing the other chapters eventually. This segment focuses on both Yugi and Anzu. They discuss everything from Rebecca to Atemu and what it all means. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster of the Yu-Gi-Oh! the manga.**

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><p>Yugi turned around to see Anzu walking over. 'Not good,' he thought. It was no secret that Anzu disliked his female fans for fawning over him. Dislike wasn't a strong enough word. She loathed his usually overly flirtatious female fans. The incident with Vivian came to his mind. When he and Jounouchi competed in the K.C. Grand Prix he had met the Duel Monsters champion of Asia, Vivian Wong. She was fairly attractive, but her personality was way too overbearing for his tastes. Vivian was a devoted fan of his, a little too devoted. She was infatuated with him. She constantly flirted with him every chance she got. Jounouchi and Honda envied Yugi and told him so. Anzu on the other hand was infuriated. When the gang watched Rebecca's duel against Vivian, the Asia Champion continued to flirt with him. This promoted Jounouchi and Honda to praise him which finally made Anzu snap. She screamed at all three of them. Yes that included him. How he suffered her wrath was beyond him. It wasn't like he was returning Vivian's affection. If Anzu was that angry at him for Vivian's flirting and the guys praises how angry would she be if she saw him and Jun flirting with each other? If she got so worked up on one sided flirting from women then her fury would be hundred times worse if she witnessed the Duel King actively flirting back. He gulped silently. She would kill him or at the very least beat him within an inch of his life. Anzu was bothered by all of the fan girls never ending adoration, taking his time away from their friends, from her. Suddenly he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had been flirting with Jun. Despite knowing it would bother Anzu. Why would he do such a thing? 'Because you are single and are free to flirt with anyone you want to,' answered his subconscious. That's right they were not together. He didn't do anything wrong by flirting with Jun. If that was true then why did he still feel guilty?<p>

"Yugi, is something wrong?" Anzu asked. He jumped at the sound of her voice. Anzu walked up to him without his noticing. He was really distracted for him not notice her arrival. It must have shown on his face, judging by the odd look Anzu was giving him.

Yugi shook his head. "No I am fine, Anzu," he said. His lips curled into a U shape. He tried to brighten his purple spheres in an attempt to ease the brunette. Hopefully his voice did not convey any of the guilt swirling around in him.

Apparently it didn't because the odd expression faded away from Anzu's face. She turned her attention to Jun.

"So Yugi who is your friend?" she asked. There was a slight edge to her voice. Anzu widened her lips into large smile. However Yugi could tell it was false. There was no joy in that smile at all. It was hollow and forced. Her blue eyes gave her away.

'This is already going badly,' he thought. Yugi continued to keep his smile plastered anyway. If there was a chance he could keep this meeting civil he would find it. "Anzu, this Jun she is a duelist I just met a little while ago." He noticed Anzu's blue eyes narrowed slightly. The anger was only there briefly, but he still saw it in her eyes. No doubt she thought the reason for his tardiness was all of Jun's doing. Upon a second inspection he saw no trace of any anger on Anzu's face. Deciding it was safe for now the tri-color shaded hair man turned to the red haired woman. "Jun, this is one of my best friends Anzu." As he introduced the two women he couldn't help, but pray this would not end horribly. There were only so many times he could escape the brunt of the brunette's fury.

Anzu stuck out her hand for Jun to shake. She continued to force her smile, while fighting the jealousy and envy that was rising to the surface. "Hi."

Jun curved her lips into a modest smile. Unlike Anzu or Yugi's it was not strained or forced. She took Anzu's hand and shook it. "Hello."

Anzu's eyes traveled up and down Jun's figure. She thought that this woman was attractive from far away, but getting to see her up close made her realize how wrong her assessment was. Jun was not attractive. She was breath taking! How slim could you get! Seriously she was a pole. She possessed these dazzling emerald green eyes that brought out the shine in her brilliant red hair. Jun could probably give Mai a run for her money in looks. She took after Mai in not being afraid to show cleavage. That was obvious judging by how she displayed them for the world to see. Anzu was feeling incredibly self-conscious. She never prided herself on her appearance, but she never felt unappealing. However compared to Jun she felt so….inadequate. She had never felt so inadequate in her life. Jun was flawless, a model. She was just the right size, the right height, long yet shapely legs, flawless skin, gorgeous eyes, luscious lips, amazing nose (she didn't even know you could have an amazing nose), and confidence to spare.

Suddenly all those imperfections, like her picking up a little more weight or how hair refused to straighten out this morning became a hundred times worse. Ever since Yugi had become a world known duelist she had started to pay a little more attention to her appearance. She didn't go overboard with trying to "glamor" herself up. No, she wasn't going to wear a god awful amount of make-up. She spent a little more time on her hair in the morning or just added a touch of blush to her cheeks. She took a little more care in choosing her wardrobe. Anzu may have been unsure about her conflicting affections for Yugi and Atemu, but she still held affections for Yugi. When the world started to see what she saw it was only a matter of time before girls took notice of his qualities. The title of Duel King probably drew girls in, however it would be Yugi's kind heart, welcoming personality, and good looks that kept them captivated. With each new tournament won more fame was added to Yugi. Dueling continued to grow with Industrial Illusions releasing new cards and hosting more charity events, such as giving free cards to orphans and hosting tournaments with new cards as rewards for the winners (along with some prize money). There was the Kaiba Corp's latest holographic technology making monster more and more life-like. Yugi even mentioned something about Kaiba thinking about opening schools dedicated to teaching people to duel. She had to hold back a laugh when she heard it. Dueling was big, but whole schools revolved around teaching it. Come on there was no way that would catch on. As dueling kept growing so did Yugi's fame.

There was hardly anyone who did not recognize him anymore. That's when the fan girls came. It was as Jounouchi and Honda said some of Yugi's fan girls looked hot. It was enough that she had to worry about the girls at their school. Now she had to compete with nearly every single (by single I mean not in a relationship) woman on the planet between the ages thirteen to thirty. No she wasn't exaggerating. One time she actually saw a thirty year old flirting with Yugi! While Yugi signed her son's autograph she flirted with said son's idol. Anzu was a little crazy when it came to fan girls' annoying and shameless flirting, but was it any wonder. With a beauty like Jun her ability to compete was becoming more than just harder; it was a near hopeless task. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to get Yugi away from this woman as soon as possible.

"Yugi, the others are waiting for you outside. You know how Jounouchi and Honda get when they are hungry." Anzu tried to disguise the jealousy her tone.

Her attempt failed. Jun not only caught the jealousy in her tone, but also noticed that the smile on the brunette was false. Her eyes looked over Anzu. A small vein was throbbing on Anzu's forehead. She saw her tremble slightly as if trying to reframe herself from lashing out. These were unmistakable signs of jealousy. Jun pulled her eyes away Anzu and put them on Yugi. He too had a forced smile. For the first time since she had met him she saw something she thought he lacked, fear. He was actually fidgety. This man who had facedown countless duelists, stared down God monsters, and more importantly her without any worry. How was it possible that Anzu could produce this fear in him? No, it was not just any fear. This fear was recognizable. It was the fear she saw in men when their girlfriends caught them flirting with her. This was odd though. Yugi said Anzu was his friend, not girlfriend. But judging by the way both of them acted they were more than friends. But Yugi identified himself as single, thus he was fair game. She refused to feel guilty about flirting with a single man. A wicked idea formed. She decided to give Anzu a real reason to be jealous.

Jun and Anzu's hand shake ended. She flashed another smile at Anzu then turned to Yugi. "I did not mean to keep you from your friends, Yugi-kun," Jun said. Yugi widened his eyes in surprise. Jun used Kun to refer to him, something she did not do before. Another thing that he found odd was her tone. It was much too sweet. Whereas before it was smooth and bold. Jun bent down slightly. Her left hand caressed his cheek. He could not stop the pink tint in his cheeks that came. His ears picked up a small growl from Anzu. He could feel her glare on back of his head. The former puzzle wearer could only chuckle nervously. He was certainly in a predicament. An infuriated Anzu who was no doubt glaring daggers at him and a playful and seductive Jun, were both bringing out anxiety within him.

"Jun, um what are you doing?" he nearly choked out. The crimson strands captured his attention. Jun's smile grew. He was bashful which she found cute. Her emerald eyes stole a glance at Anzu. She saw the brunette was fuming. Those blue eyes held such contempt for her actions. Jun had work hard to conceal the smirk threatening to emerge on her lips.

"Yugi-kun, you are quite handsome," she replied. Apprehension was flowing freely from him now. She would like to think that she was the cause, but knew better. Anzu was clearly the reason he felt so uneasy. "I could just get lost in your eyes."

Anzu wanted to strangle her. Who was Jun to caress her Yugi's cheek? That smile was so sinister. It conveyed this gentleness, but it was deceitful. She knew what it really was. It was to disarm her victims in order to seduce them and Yugi was buying it! Couldn't he see what Jun was doing? Or did he see it and welcome it? No, he would never do that to her. He wouldn't welcome this attention if he had a choice. Just like with Rebecca and Vivian she could see the discomfort in his purple eyes. She could taste his uneasiness. He did not want this anymore than she did. She had to stop this and rescue him. "Yugi, we really need to go." She did not attempt to hide her annoyance. She could have sworn she saw Jun smirk. When she looked again she saw the same deceitful smile from before.

"It looks like I am still keeping you from your friends, how rude of me." Her other hand found its way to his other cheek. Now both of her fingers brushed his cheeks lightly. Her emerald orbs met his royal purple ones. She mustered her most alluring gaze. Apparently the King of Duelists was not immune to a woman's charm. His gaze was unwavering. She doubted he could take his eyes off of her even he desired to. Although judging by the captivated stare he did not want to take his eyes off of her. This brought her some satisfaction. She honestly thought him handsome. A part of her wished him to think she was beautiful. Momentarily her quest to make Anzu jealous was forgotten.

"It's alright," Yugi replied softly. His subconscious told him to walk away from Jun. It tried to remind him that Anzu was there, that she was angry at his actions. He tried to pull himself away from Jun, but he could not look away from those sparkling emerald orbs. They held some sort of spell on him.

Anzu was driven insane by the green eyed monster that possessed her body. It snickered at her plight. Another woman was caressing his cheeks, staring at him with this longing affectionate gaze, edging herself closer to him. Wait when did this happen? Dread made itself known. Was Jun planning on doing what she thought she would do?

Was it his imagination or was Jun's face getting closer? Before Yugi could question her he found Jun's lips on his own. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. Caught totally unaware the tri-color haired man stood there frozen.

Her heart stopped. This sinking feeling grabbed hold of it. This was a nightmare. Yugi her Yugi was actually kissing another woman. That sinking feeling only got worse. It reached all the way to the pit of her stomach. The breath escaped her lungs. She was gasping for oxygen as her breathing became shallow. It hit her. This was real. As much as she wished it was not, the truth was what she was witnessing was reality. Yugi was kissing Jun. This was different from Rebecca's constant kisses on the cheek or fan girls fawning. With them she could always tell that Yugi was uncomfortable or didn't share their interest. That obviously was not the case with Jun. If he didn't like the kiss then he would stop it right? If he really did not want to kiss Jun he would have stopped it. He actually wanted to kiss her, he was enjoying it. Her vision was blurring. She rubbed her eyes, discovering that water had formed. She was shedding tears. She was drowning into a sea of hopelessness and loss. Had she lost Yugi? Losing Atemu was hard on her. The pain that came from that had been unbearable. It was like she had lost a piece of her heart. But this feeling right now, the thought of losing Yugi was soul shattering. It was as if a knife had pierced her heart then ripped it out. Everything was falling down around her. Her world was collapsing.

She experienced losing Yugi once before, when his soul was abducted by Raphael. This time felt so different. During that incident when she found Yugi was gone there was still a ray of hope that shimmered on her. Hope that Yugi would return to her. It was ironic. Yugi was standing a few feet away, yet he never felt so out of reach. Even when his soul was taken she still felt connected to him. Their hearts were still in sync. Would his heart still be in sync with her heart? Was it even in sync with her heart right now? It couldn't be or he would know how much it was tearing her apart to see him kissing Jun.

Jun ended the kiss, leaving Yugi stunned by what had just happened. She winked at him, going as far as to flash him a flirtatious, small smile. His face flared up so bad that she would never have guess his skin was any other color, but red. Not that she could blame him. She did prolong the kiss for a good deal of time. What could she say; Jun got caught up in it. She wondered how furious Anzu was. No doubt she was shooting her a death glare that could end the lives of whole armies. Jun turned to her left to see the brunette. What she saw was unexpected. Anzu was still, as if petrified by some invisible force. The blue eyes which held so much fury and contempt for her were now dead. They were so hollow, barren, and devoid of any hope. It was unlike the strong eyes that challenged her and told her to back off. These eyes had to belong to another woman. Anzu's eyes would not be stained with tears. The woman who glared at her moments ago was too strong for that. Even her color seemed to have left her.

'I went too far,' Jun thought. This was supposed to be harmless fun. She just wanted to provoke Anzu, give her a little reason for those subtle glares she gave her. The chance to flirt with Yugi was a bonus. At worst she thought Anzu would strike her. God, Jun wished she would strike her now. Instead all she did was break Anzu's heart into several pieces. She had done enough damage. Her U shape curved lips fell into a frown. For the first time in a while shame had slapped itself to her face. She looked Anzu in the eye, silently willing an apology to her. The blue eyed woman still held some of her pride; she quickly averted her gaze from Jun's. She deserved that. It was understandable that Anzu would shun her apology. She returned her sights to Yugi. He had reined in his emotions, because his original color had returned. "Goodbye, Yugi-kun. The next time we meet will hopefully be when I am worthy enough to duel you. I am sorry…..for taking your time," she hastily added the last part.

He sensed the change in Jun, but did not comment on it. He gave his encouraging smile, in hopes of easing her worries. "Goodbye, Jun." She waved at him then turned to leave. Yugi stood there and watched her go. He couldn't help, but wonder when he would see her again. This future rival would prove to be….intriguing. "Ready to go, Anzu…" He stopped in mid-sentence. Instead of being greeted by a fuming and monstrous Anzu as he was expecting, he was met with broken eyes with water threatening to flow from them. This expression was even worst then the one she wore when Atemu left them. A sharp sting jabbed his heart, infecting him with an enormous amount of guilt that made the guilt he felt earlier seem shallow. Anzu his Anzu was hurting. What made it worse was the fact that he was the cause of her pain. "Anzu, are you alright?" he asked. It was a stupid question. Cleary he knew she was not alright. She was as far from being alright as possible. Damn it. He knew she was bothered by Jun. Why didn't he just leave when she asked him to? He stayed and allowed himself to be kissed by Jun. Yugi had never felt like such an idiot before.

"Anzu," he tried again. Anzu did not acknowledge him. She turned her back on him and started to walk off.

Mesmerized by her reaction Yugi stared after her leaving form. "Anzu, wait."

Anzu did not stop, but she did increase her speed. This caused Yugi to panic. He chased after her. "Anzu, please stop and talk to me. Anzu!" he continued to cry. Anzu continued to ignore him though. She had no intentions of stopping, at least anytime soon. This left Yugi with very few options. He would have to cut her off at a nearby corner. If he wanted any hope of stopping her before she left the dome. Fortunately for him there was a shortcut coming up that he could take that would allow him to beat Anzu to the hallway. He made a sharp turn to his left while Anzu continued to speed walk forward. He urged his feet to increase their speed, as he broke into a run. Yugi was hoping that Anzu did not decide to run herself. Fortune seemed to still be smiling on him somewhat. By the time he had made it into the hall Anzu had just gotten there herself. He quickly jumped in front of her; cutting off her only escape route.

His lung cried in protest. He tried to appease their whines by taking deep breaths. The Kaiba Dome was huge. He had been running for at least ten minutes trying to catch Anzu before he took the shortcut. "No…. more running….Anzu," Yugi breathed out. "Now please…talk to me." The tears he had seen threatening to rush out before were now flowing freely. They stained her face as her upper lips trembled. However even though Anzu appeared to be broken her eyes mustered a glare of full spite. He was taken aback. That glare, that spite was directed at him. It was meant for him. Yugi had never been on the end of this glare before. He was unsure what to do or how to fix this.

"What's there to talk about, Yugi? You kissed Jun. That seems pretty clear to me," Anzu spat out with contempt. Yugi winced at her tone. She didn't care though. No, he hurt her and that was all she could think of. Right now she did not want to look at him let alone be around him. Her hand wiped the tears from her eyes. She desperately tried to regain at least some of her composure.

Yugi shook his head. "I did not kiss Jun. She kissed me," he argued. It was true. He did not initiate the kiss nor did he return it.

This didn't lessen Anzu's wrath. If Yugi's words had any effect they made the glare she was casting on him even darker. "You weren't trying too hard to stop her, Yugi," she said coldly. Her tone made the former puzzle wearer shiver. "You must have enjoyed it," she continued.

That was true. He didn't try to stop Jun. But why was she so upset at him? It wasn't like he had started that kiss. He made sure not flirt with Jun the moment Anzu appeared. He never wanted to hurt her. How could she not know that after all this time? They were friends. Or were they just friends? This was too confusing for him. Wasn't she in love with Atemu? Yes, she was in love with Atemu. How could she be upset with him over Jun? Not once did he ever get upset at Anzu for flirting with Atemu. He ignored all those loving glances she gave the ancient spirit. He endured that because he knew she was in love with him. He made it his peace with it long ago, even though it tore his heart to see them together when Atemu was in control of his body. He even went out of his way to give her personal time with Atemu. Now she was throwing this kiss in his face.

"That's not fair, Anzu. I have never blown up on you when you spent time with Atemu. You shouldn't be upset by Jun kissing me," he argued.

How could he even try to compare Atemu to Jun? Atemu never tried to seduce her. She had taken Yugi into consideration. She knew she wasn't always discrete about her attraction to his former alter ego, but she tried to be for his sake. Even on those dates she went on with Atemu in order to help him relax (both of which Yugi had set up) she never thought of trying to kiss him. In her dreams she had planted her lips on to the "other Yugi," but that was as far as it went. Anzu never tried to act out her dream. For her to even think about actually kissing Atemu was a betrayal to Yugi she would not do. Atemu may have been his own person separate from Yugi, but they still shared the same body, Yugi's body. She would never taunt Yugi by crushing her lips to his when it was meant for Atemu. "I never kissed Atemu though!" she shot shouted.

Yugi matched her glare. He frowned. "No you just put yourself in danger just so he would come out of the puzzle to save you!"

He was actually using their date to the amusement park against her. She understood her actions that day were cruel. She had apologized to Yugi and had hoped that the amusement park issue would never be brought up again. Apparently she had hoped for too much. "You are the one who kept insisting I go out on dates with him! You can't throw Atemu back at my face when you pushed him on me! After that day at the amusement park I realized how badly I hurt you. I never wanted to do that again, so I stopped trying to get his attention!

"But you still wanted it! I could see it in your eyes. Anzu, did you have any idea how much it hurt me to know that all those looks of concern or love were for him and not me? Do you know how much it hurts to know that you loved Atemu and not me?" he asked her.

She looked at him with disbelief. He honestly believed that she had no affection for him. He thought that every affectionate gaze, every touch, every smile, every jealous glare she shot at other women, where all meant for Atemu. Obviously he had thought about this for some time now. She could see that much, by merely gazing into his hurt eyes. Their undefined relationship had sparked another problem. Atemu was not with anymore, yet somehow their conversations about their relationship still went to him. Their bizarre love triangle would have to be resolved if there was any hope for either of them to move on with their lives.

Anzu inhaled a deep breath then exhaled it. She did this in hopes of throwing away the sorrow and anger she felt, and too take in the courage she needed now. "Yugi, what are we?" she finally asked.

"What?" He was utterly confused by what she was asking him.

"I mean what is our relationship exactly? We are more than just friends that much is for sure. Friends do not do what we do."

Yugi seemed to be contemplating her words. She wondered if he had thought about this question on restless nights as she had. He must have at least thought about it. If he hadn't she was sure he would have continued to question her further for more clarification.

'What is our relationship?' he questioned himself. Anzu was right. Their bond was so complicated. It could not be entirely platonic. Those times her gaze would linger on him when she knew it was him in control of his body and not Atemu stood out in his mind. Although it could be possible that he was making more of those lingering gazes then what they were. Yugi knew what he felt for Anzu was much more than platonic. He wasn't sure if he loved her, but he could see himself saying the words in the future. The thought of Anzu smiling at him and telling him she loved him brought a smile to his face. No, he was getting ahead of himself. Just because he had romantic feelings for Anzu did not mean she had the same feelings. How did Atemu fit into the equation? Did she still love him? Was she transferring her feelings for Atemu to him? He refused to be her replacement for Atemu. He wanted Anzu to be with him because she liked him, not because he looked like Atemu. He deserved that much and he would not take any less.

"Anzu, only you can decide what we are," Yugi finally said. Seeing the confusion in her lovely blue eyes he decided to elaborate more. "My feelings for you are stronger than friendship. Whenever I see you smile I can't help but to smile myself. When I see you are sad I can't help, but feel sad myself. When I see you for the first time of the day I get really happy. I relish that moment I first lay eyes on you." He saw her cheeks turn into a pink shade. Slowly a small smile crept its way through on her face. "Anzu, I want to be more than friends. I always have since we were in middle school. I've never thought you felt that way about me, so I kept quiet. I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"Yugi," she uttered.

"Now it's your turn. What do you want to be, Anzu? Do you truly want to be more than just friends? Do you have any real feelings for me or do just see Atemu in me? I have to know. In the past I have always been afraid to hear your answer, so I kept silent. But that is a coward's way. I refuse to be a coward anymore. I cannot keep holding false hope for something that is unreal. I need to know what your feelings are for both me and Atemu. Anzu, tell me what he is to you."

They never talked about Atemu's part in their relationship at least not out loud. It was a taboo that would only lead to trouble. The taboo had to be lifted. In order to discover if he had a future with Anzu he had to know what she felt for his former alter ego. He had to hear her verbalize her emotions.

Anzu took another breath. She knew this was coming. If they were going to discuss their relationship of course Atemu would have to be discussed. That was the whole point of trying to resolve this bizarre love triangle. The trouble was she was still unsure which feelings were stronger, the ones she had for Atemu or the ones she had for Yugi. The only thing she could do was be truthful to him. It was the only way they would get anywhere. "It is true that I have romantic feelings for Atemu. When he left I felt like a part of me left with him. I still miss him."

He heard enough. Yugi tightened his right hand into a fist. He looked down to the ground. He was unable to look her in the eye. He finally had his answer. It was the answer he already knew. She wanted Atemu not him. He thought he had prepared himself for her answer. Yugi rehearsed Anzu saying those words a hundred times in order to brace himself for the harsh reality. Yet here he was hearing Anzu say these words and he still felt his heart ripped out of his chest. "I see. Thank you for telling me." He was about to leave until she stopped him by grabbing his hand.

"Please, Yugi. Let me finish." Yugi brought his eyes back to her. Those blue eyes that had enchanted him to her when they were kids had worked their power again. They were red now, but still looked beautiful to him. They pleaded for him to stay. What could he do? He was completely helpless against that look. The trio-colored haired man gave her a nod, agreeing to stay put.

When she saw him agree to stay she had to let out a smile. He needed to hear everything. Now that they were talking Anzu needed to tell him everything, she wanted to tell him everything. "I do have strong feelings for you though."

Yugi scuffed at her comment. He did not need her pity. If she was in love with Atemu so be it. He was not so weak that he needed her to make up a story about feeling something more than friendship for him. He turned his cheek to her. This upset Anzu. Her smile fell into a frown. What would it take for her to get him to believe her? "It's true!" she exclaimed. "I do have romantic feelings for you."

"Lying doesn't become you, Anzu," he muttered.

She fought the urge to slap him. Who was he to tell her how she felt? How could he think she would lie to him about this? "Yugi, why do you think I get upset every time Rebecca paws at you?" she asked.

He had completely forgotten about Anzu and Rebecca's unspoken rivalry which revolved around him. The pair would trade false smiles and pretend to be nice to one another. All the while they would challenge the other one to try something. Those dark glares Anzu would throw Rebecca were enough to make not only Yugi quiver, but even frightened Atemu. He could never interpret why Anzu was so defensive around the younger girl. It was not necessarily a sign that Anzu's feelings for him were romantic. It was entirely possible that Rebecca thought Yugi and Atemu were one in the same just as Anzu used to. If that was the case Anzu's jealousy would be over his former partner and not him.

"Rebecca could have been interested in Atemu as well. If she thought we were the same then her declarations of love could have been for both me and him. That would explain why you are so bothered by her actions." he countered.

Anzu looked at him as though he lost his mind. Surely he didn't believe that weak excuse that he came up with. He knew damn well that Rebecca was interested in him. She barely gave Atemu a second glance even though the pharaoh had shared Yugi's body. Was he blind? Of course he was blind. Yugi had never seen Rebecca's indifferent nature towards the ancient spirit. His soul was gone when Rebecca unleashed her anger on Atemu for losing him. The little times Atemu had emerged at the K.C. Grand Prix Yugi kept his attention on Atemu to support him during their duels. He wouldn't notice how different Rebecca looked at Atemu in comparison to himself. "When you and Atemu went to duel Raphael, Rebecca and I were alone together," she blurted out. He spared her a glance, asking her what this had to do with anything. "We talked about you. She told me that we were not rivals." More confusion radiated from his eyes. "Do you know why she said that?" Yugi remained silent. "She told me we were not rivals because she was only interested in you and not Atemu. She assumed like you did that I only had feelings for Atemu." She saw his eyes broaden in shock. "Even though she said that. I didn't feel any relief. I know she wants you, Yugi, just you. Her declaration made me feel uneasy." Her grip on his hand tightened.

Yugi stood there and stared. His eyes were on Anzu, but he was not focused on her. Once again he had become lost in his own thoughts. After listening to Anzu's revelation new thoughts formed, racing all over the terrain in his mind. He never knew that Anzu and Rebecca had that conversation. Considering his soul was sealed into a stone tablet after he and Atemu lost the duel to Raphael it made sense he knew nothing about the conversation. When he finally returned to his body they had to battle the Leviathan to save the world. Anzu had other things on her mind other than telling him about Rebecca's preference to him over his "other self."

"Yugi," Anzu called. Her tone was low and her voice was weak, but his ears picked up her words anyway. His focus went back to her. Those enchanting blue eyes were locked on to his purple ones. Her eyelids were half closed; the upside down U shape frown was present. Anzu gave him this sorrowful expression he found himself thinking she was so beautiful. She continued, "I don't like when Rebecca smothers you with hugs and kisses. It's not only Rebecca. Your fan girls always swoon over you. They make such a fuss. No matter how shameful it is they will do anything to get your attention. God one of them gave you her bra to sign. It makes me sick to my stomach. I…I get jealous when I see these women flirt with you, Yugi. Whenever they see me they give me this catty or smug little smirk that I just want punch their smug little faces in. Do you have any idea what it's like when nearly the whole world is your competition? Some of these women are drop dead gorgeous. Jun alone would make models envious and she was all over you, Yugi. It's hard not to be jealous of a woman who looks like that. I can't compare to her. Even on my best day I don't look half as good as her. I try not to let it get to me, but I can't help but think that someone like Jun is going to take you away from me."

"Anzu, that won't happen."

"How can you say that? Do you honestly prefer me to Jun? She is stunning and I am average."

"That's a lie."

"What?"

"You are anything, but average. Anzu, you are beautiful." Her blue orbs widened in astonishment. "Have you forgotten all the boys in our class used to ogle you? You are the Gunner, the girl who turned down any guy who asked her out. You received that name because so many guys asked you out and you refused. It's not just your physical appearance. You are so strong. You never give up at anything without giving it your all. If someone does something that upsets you, you let them know. You stand up for the people you care for. There are so many times you helped me out, Jounouchi-kun, and Honda-kun. I admire those qualities in you. They make up your beauty along with your hair or eyes or face. Don't say you can't compare to anyone or that you are average. To me, Anzu you are the most beautiful woman I know."

She shed new tears. These were not ones of sorrow. They were joyous. She wiped the tears away as well. She failed to realize that her lips had curved upward into a bashful grin. "That's sweet, but I am not more beautiful than Jun."

"In my eyes you are. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind." He gave her hand a tight squeeze.

"You are too much," Anzu muttered. Her bashful smile remained. She followed Yugi's lead and squeezed her hand in his. She did not want to release his hand. It felt right; holding his hand. She hoped their future would include more hand holding and perhaps something more. "I was really upset with Atemu when your soul was taken by the Seal of Orichalcos." She paused to wipe away more tears that had fallen from her eyes. The memory of Yugi losing his soul still brought back that void sensation she felt when she first heard he had lost his soul. "I couldn't believe he risked both of your lives by playing that card just to win. I was afraid that I would never see you again and that thought…" she stopped in mid-sentence. She searched her mind for the right words to describe that hollow feeling she felt back then. "I couldn't imagine not seeing you ever again, Yugi." Fresh tears began to flow down her face. "When I saw you again after your soul returned I was overcome with joy. I never wanted to let go again. I hoped so badly when you turned around that I would see you and not him, not Atemu. I am not sure what I would have done if it were him looking back at me instead of you…. I was so happy to see you, Yugi," she reiterated. Anzu wiped her face yet again.

"I didn't know you felt so deeply about my soul being abducted."

"It affected all of us, Atemu, Jounouchi, Honda, Rebecca, and me."

"I am sorry to have caused you so much grief," he apologized.

Anzu shook her head. "There is no need to apologize. It wasn't your fault. You only did what you thought was right. That's the reason I cannot be mad at you for that."

Yugi couldn't help, but smile. All of the things he was afraid to ask that stopped him from ever pursuing her were also what had stopped Anzu from saying anything. His jealousy of Atemu mirrored her jealousy of women such as Jun. If he didn't smile it would be sad. How hopeless could two people be? He knew now that her affections for him were genuine. Not everything was for his "other-self." But there was still one question that needed to be answered.

"Anzu, who did you want more me or Atemu?" He knew it was silly to ask. Even if she had wanted Atemu more he was gone now. Without the ancient spirit around her feelings for him could grow stronger. Could he be satisfied with that though? He just had to know if he was still in second place with Anzu like he originally thought. She averted her eyes from him. That was not a good sign.

"When Atemu was here I never came up with an answer," she replied truthfully. Yugi's face dropped. A wave of guilt washed over her. Why did she always hurt him? She just wanted to be truthful and she still hurt him.

He felt numb. He was unsure why though. Anzu did not choose Atemu over him that was good, but she didn't exactly choose him over Atemu either. Where did they go from there? Could they be together or would Atemu continue to be an issue they would not overcome?

"But during the Ceremonial Battle I did not want to see you lose."

"What?" He looked at brunette curiously.

Anzu's blue spheres met with Yugi's purple ones yet again. "I didn't want Atemu to leave. I won't deny that, but I never wanted you to lose the duel, Yugi. I thought at first that because I wanted Atemu to stay that I would be on his side. But I never once took solace when he was winning the duel. It was the opposite. I felt this dread in the pit of my stomach. When he summoned all three God cards, when he nearly defeated you using their might my heart stopped. I was afraid that you would lose and when you avoided defeat I was so relieved. That's when I realized that I was on your side. I was hoping that you would win. I wanted to see you win. I wanted to see you surpass your greatest rival. I wanted to see you realize that your strength was never Atemu. No all he did was draw out that strength you had all along. You were not just a body for him to use. All those duels Atemu faced, you were not just someone to observe his feats. You contributed to all of his victories; you shared those victories with him. All of those duels against, Kaiba-kun, Jounouchi, Mai-san, Pegasus, Marik, Noah, Dartz, and Zorc could not have been won by Atemu alone. You played a role in all of them. You gave Atemu his strength. Don't misunderstand me. I know Atemu was a great duelist, but if you think that was the only thing that allowed both of you to prevail then you are a fool. It took his confidence and your heart to create that strength that allowed you to win against all of those opponents and more. I knew you would never see that unless you defeated Atemu. Even though I was overwhelmed by sadness when he left there was still a part of me that was happy to see you succeed. That small part of me cheered as you were victorious. I don't know what that means exactly though, but I wanted to be honest with you. I am sorry if that was not the answer you were looking for." She looked at Yugi's face, but could not read what he was feeling. What if he was angry at her? She didn't actually say she wanted him more than Atemu. On the contrary she admitted that she wanted Atemu to stay. Of course he was angry at her for being so indecisive. Why didn't he say anything already?

"_I didn't want Atemu to leave. I won't deny that, but I never wanted you to lose, Yugi."_

Those words played in his mind over and over again. He could not believe it. Anzu may not have wanted Atemu to leave, but she did not want him to win their duel. In the end she wanted to see Yugi and not Atemu prevail the duel. This made him unbelievably happy. Words could not do this sun glowing warmth in his chest justice. He was not her second choice after all! He was not a replacement. She wanted to be with him because of who he was not because he looked like Atemu.

"Yugi, please say something."

Anzu's voice brought Yugi out his head. He saw that Anzu looked worried. She must have thought he was upset by her answer.

"Are you mad at me?" she blurted out.

He smiled at her before he answered, "No I am not mad. In fact I am actually happy."

"You are?" she uttered in total surprise. "But I didn't even answer your question." She looked away from Yugi, but he gently pulled her face back to face his. "All I said was that I wanted you to win. In the end I still wanted Atemu to stay. You should be furious at me." They were nearly eye level with each other. That was unusual considering she was taller. It was then that she noticed that he reached her shoulders now. 'He's gotten taller,' she thought. How had she missed Yugi's startling new height? She was so stuck on Atemu these last few months that she had not noticed his growth. But that summed up their entire dynamic. Anzu was infatuated with silent, brooding, and prideful pharaoh that she had missed Yugi's development. Instead moments such as this one or when he dueled the evil Bakura without Atemu's help when she took notice to his growth. She began to blush when she realized just how close he actually was.

"I am happy because you supported me even though it was not easy for you. That means more to me than you realize, Anzu." Seeing Anzu's beautiful face smiling back at him gave him the courage to do what he dreamed of doing for a long time. Standing up on his tip toes Yugi closed the gap between their heights and captured Anzu's lips in a kiss. Their first kiss wasn't a long breath taking kiss that movies and television shows portrayed, but rather quick and sweet one. When he ended the kiss he saw that Anzu's smile had not faded away. If anything it may have gotten a little wider. Her face was red as a tomato.

"That was different," she said rather bashfully. She didn't think she would ever stop smiling. She didn't care if she ever stopped as long as this tingling feeling never stopped.

"Was it a good different or bad different?" Yugi asked nervously.

"A good different," she replied with a smirk.

He wore a smirk of his own. 'She didn't hate it, what a relief.'

"You said it was up to me to decide what we are right?" Anzu asked. Yugi nodded his head yes. "Then we are officially together. No more confusion or guessing." She wrapped arm around his. "No more slutty girls giving you their panties to sign."

"For the record I never sign panties or bras. Wait how do you know about the um….panties? I know you were around when that one girl gave me her bra to sign. I had to stop you from nearly murdering her. I've never told you about the panties fan. I had enough sense to know you would either kill the fans who gave me their panties or me after what you did to the bra fan."

"I made Jounouchi tell me."

"You just randomly asked Jounouchi-kun if a fan girl ever gave me her panties to sign." He said unable to hold back a laugh.

Anzu rolled her eyes. "As if. He was telling Honda, Otogi, and Bakura and I caught the tell end of it. I forced him to tell me the whole thing. He didn't want to at first because he thought he would get you in trouble, but I persuaded him to tell me."

Sweat formed on the back of his head. He felt sorry for Jounouchi. Anzu's persuasion methods involved her fists and quite possibly her feet. 'I told him not to tell anyone about that fan because of Anzu's wrath.'

"So why didn't you tell me?" she asked. She narrowed her eyes darkly

He gulped. "I value my life. You can be pretty scary when you are angry," he answered truthfully. "Again, I didn't sign them."

"Is it that a regular occurrence?"

"We better not keep the others waiting much longer. Jounouchi-kun and Honda-kun are probably starving as we speak." He was not going to get into this discussion with her right after they got together. There was no need to anger her this moment with his some of his fan girls' inappropriate behavior.

'He's changing the subject,' she thought. "Yugi…" She silenced by his lips, he gave her another kiss. This time he lingered to make it longer. She returned it and smiled.

After twenty seconds he ended the kiss. "If you promise not to kill any of those girls I will tell you from now on. But you have nothing to worry about. None of these girls are going to steal me from you."

For about the tenth time that day her cheeks turned to a bright shade of red. "You are lucky I am such a pushover." She felt like her stomach had butterflies fluttering in it.

"Anzu," Yugi called. She gave him her attention. He noticed the blush remained plastered on her cheeks. "Do you want go out tomorrow? You know as our first official date?"

"I would love to, Yugi." She pulled his arm and they started to walk. "Jounouchi and Honda are going to be walking corpses at this point," she joked.

"You are right. Now that we know what we are I don't have to worry about you, killing any of my fan girls right?" He didn't want to see his face or hers on a magazine cover under some title that read "Duel King's Girlfriend Goes on Killing Spree." He was fairly sure she would be arrested depending on how badly she killed these fans. She remained silent. "Anzu," he said warningly.

"Only the slutty ones," she replied.

So maybe he would have to keep her away from some of his events in the future. Just until she reined in some her more destructive urges. This would take some getting used to, but he was happy.

"Well done, Partner."

Yugi immediately turned around. He saw nothing, but he could have sworn he heard a voice, a familiar voice. No, it couldn't be him. He was gone now. 'I must be imagining things.'

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Anzu asked worriedly.

A smirk materialized. "Nothing is wrong. I am just really happy."

"Me too," she replied. "I am glad to have you in my life." That was the truth. He wasn't a pharaoh or a brooding lone figure, but she was glad he wasn't. All those things did not attract him to her. He was not Atemu and she didn't care, because he was the man who had been there for her since they were children. He was the person to always encourage her. He was the person willing to sacrifice his own happiness for hers. That was who Yugi was and it was why she falling in love with him.

* * *

><p><strong>That's the end of it. Forgive the use of romantic feelings or affection. I thought it would be a little much to say they loved each other. I put the building blocks there though. Yes it was Atemu's voice Yugi heard. There was no real reason to put in there other than I wanted to. I thought it was sort of fitting for him to be there in some way considering Atemu declared he would help Yugi win Anzu's heart. I may make another segment set during the series from Atemu's perspective on the love triangle. I haven't decided yet. I make no promises though. Please review. <strong>


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